Towel cabinet



March 15, 1932. B. BELENSON 1,849,063

TOWEL CABINET Filed Nov 28, 1927 S'Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

A TTORNE Y.

Marh 15', 1932. BJBELENSON 1,849,053

TOWEL CABINET Filed Nov 28, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 e I 33 11\ VEN TOR.

I w A ATTORNEY.

Ben Be 76775017 "March 15, 1932.

B. BELENSON TOWEL CABINET Filed Nov 2.8, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR. 5672 fiflzewaon ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 15, 1932 PA NT format 1,

BEN BELENSON, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN, Assrenon, BY Mizsnn nssremvrnnrs, T Tim STEINER- SALES coivrrAnxor SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, AVQOBPORATION or UTAH rowan caiimnr Application filed November, 28, 1927. Serial No. 236,178;

The present invention relates to towel cabinets for strip towel'ing in which a clean towel strip is fed out of a compartment for use and then'into another compartment where it is I rolled as an aid to handling.

= Among the objects of the invention isan efficient, economically built, reliable mechanism for feeding the toweling to a position convenlent for use and for rolling up the-used towellng."

Another ob] ect is mechanism for delivering I a for use a measured amount of toweling and fifor locking the strip against movementw'hile being used. i

i '15" [Other objects willreadily appear to those skilled in the art uponreference to the I fol:- 'lowingdescription-and accompanying drawfings in which:- r

V t Fig. 1 is a perspectlve' view of the" cabinet I in open position but "without the toweling;

Fig. 2 is a viewifrom the left of Figure 1 with the side of the cabinet removed and with parts in section;

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the roller 7 Y actuating and measuring means;

,Fig. 4 is a section online4'4 of Figures Figs. 5, 6,'and 7' are respectively sections As shown, the vcabinet comprises a housing or boX portion consisting of atop 10, sides 11 and 12, and back 13 provided with a hinged door: 14. Thelower side willbeopen'as shown, but near the top is a shelf 15 t'o the forward edge of which is hinged n inner door 16 having-at its free edge a roller or smooth rod 17 which, when the door 16 is closed; is spaced ashort distance from'the top lOof the hous-i than the depth of thehousing so that, in closed position-door 16 is" spaced somewhat fromdoor 14 whenthe latter is closed a depending curved shield member 18 over which passes the towel strip andbehind which is rolled the soiled toweling.

r In the lower portion ofthehousin'g and secured tothe' sides 11 and 12 are a pair of ing. Also shelf 15 is somewhat less-width;

releasing member 54. The notches 53 and 7' the ends of stop 52v cooperate with a; spring pressed plunger carried in frame ,mem- To the outer edge of shelf 15 is also hinged d enlarged portion 56' which extends laterally "slide members20 and 21, slotted as at 22 to receive screws 23 on. a frame which carries the feeding mechanism, whichframe is thus v allowed a limited forward and backward movement.

. The frame mentioned comprises rtwo end members 30 and 31'generally'rectangular in shape and with" upwardly and backwardly I extending arms 32. These members '30 and 31'ar'e connected by*rods-33 and have bearings for and carry between them three rollers 35, 3'6, 37, and a drive shaft 39;roller 35 being an idle roller spring pressed toward roller 36 by the spring plungers 40.

Both end members 30 and 3 1 are hollowed 'out on their outer sides to receive-"gearing mechanism and in Figure 2 the rollers 36 and -37 are shown ascarrying small gears 41 "meshing with a larger gear 42, carried by the :drivejshaftse; w a

v The end member 30 carries in its hollowed portion the actuating, mechanism; for the towel feed which mechanismis set in motion fb y a crank handle 45. I

As shown best i Figures 3'to7, th t at;

ing 'mechanism-comprises a ring gear 46 loosely mounted on the hub '47 of'the crank 45 and having two ratchet teeth 48 on'itsinnerperiphery adaptedto cooperate with' a spring pressedpawl 49 carried in the hub 147 ,1and by means of which the gear 46 may be driven in one direction by crank 45 1 Also mounted on hub 47 and fixed thereto, as'by keys 50, is astop member andreleasing cam 51. This member consistsof a disc having about a third of its edge formed as an arc of a circle-of greater'radius than the remainingportionltoprovide a stop portion 52, with 'notches'58 atthe'ends of stop 52 sunk below the-curve of the remaining portion of the periphery which latter formsthe cam ber 30. Thisplunger 55 is provided with an by means of a pin 62 in a recess 63 in the disc. The outer edge of disc 60 is provided with ratchet teeth 64 coacting with the enlarged portion 56 of plunger 55 to prevent rotation of the roller 36 in a forward direction unless the plunger is withdrawn.

The hub 47 of lever and the parts carried thereby may conveniently be loosely mounted on the end of shaft 61, suitable means being provided to prevent their dis placement.

In the rest position of handle 45, the pawl 49 lies in about the position 49' so that the handle may move a short distance before picking up the gear 46. In this short movement, the stop disc is also moved tolift plunger 'out ofnotch 53-rso that the portion 56 is moved out of the way of teeth 64. on lock disc 60. Rotation of the gear 46 then causes rotation of small gear 70 meshed therewith and keyed to shaft 39, and through this shaft, the rotation of rollers 36 and 37, multiplying the movement of these latter. Rotation is continued until: the other end of stop 52 strikes plunger 55- and. the latter drops into the second. notch 53 and permits the part 56-to stopthe disc- 60.

The return of the handle 45 is caused by a spring 75 anchored toarm 32 of frame member 30-at oneend and to a short cable 76 connected to h-ub- 4'1. vVhen the handle 45 is rotated counter clockwise (Fig. 3 the cable is reeled upon hub 47 in a groove 77 provided therefor.

plunger 55.. 1 Handle 45 of course projects out of the cabinet through a suitable slot or notch 80 and when the frame is it rearward position this slot is filled by a small. plate 81 carried by frame member 30.

The arms 32 of members 30 and 31 carry at their upper ends a rod 33 serving to hold the members together. These upper ends are counterbored as shown in Fig. 8- to receive springs 85 which are anchored at one end to the arm 32 and at the other secured to a guide arm and roller holder 86 serving to exert spring pressure on said guide arm to hold it down. There willbe one of these holders 86 at each end of the frame and each is notched on the underside of its free end as at 87 to receive the shaft end of the soiled towel roll a 38, the springs 85- being adapted to press'the latter-against feed roller 37.. Roller 38- is easily removed from arms86 and consists of a. small roll having a longitudinal groove 88 in which lies a rod 89 hinged at one end and free at theother. Thecabinet, when in operation will be supported in any suitable. manner from the back or top, leaving atleast the front, right side bottom clear to permit loading and'unloading, and operating.

In loading the cabinet, toweling folded through the And the stopafor the ban--- dle is provided by the stop member 52 and zigzag fashion, as indicated in Figure 1 at 100 will be placed in the upper compartment and the operating mechanism drawn forward to its outer position. When the latter is done, the apron or shield 18 will be automatically lifted by the link. connection 90 which extends from the frame end members to the shield. The free end of the towel 100 is then brought down overthe roller 17 and shield 18 and behind roller 35- over the front of roller 36 The toweling end is then rolled down by the roller 36 to produce the loop desired for use and brought back up behind the operating mechanism and the rod 33 and secured to roller 38 by lifting the rod 89 from its groove and passing the end of the toweling under the rod. Asingle turn of the roller 38 will then securethe toweling firmly thereto. The operating mechanism isthen slid back into place and they door 16 closed and lastly the cabinet is closed by means of the door 14. The cabinet is then ready for use.

When the user desires to obtain clean toweling, he grasps the handle 45 and rotates it counter clockwise (Fig. 1) givingit about two-thirds of a turn: until it is automatically stopped. This, operation of the handle 45, gearing above described, will rotate the feed rolls 36 and 37 through several revolutions and cause the feeding of sufficient toweling for use. The operation also rotates the roller 38 to-wind up the previously used towel at the same rate as the feed of clean toweling by. roller 36.

It will thus beseen that the mechanism de scribed provides a simple, easily operated and economically manufactured means for supplying clean toweling and rolling up. the soiled toweling and also provides against extravagant usage by supplying a measured amount with each operation.

The disk members 7 54 and provide against pulling the towel from the supply cabinet in. preventing rotation of the rollers 36 and 37, and, as it is proposed tomake the surfaces of these rollers of some friction producing material, the toweling will not slip thereover'.

Now having described the invention and the preferred form of embodiment thereof,

it should be noted that the said invention is to be limited, not to the specific details herein described and illustrated, but, only by the scope of the claims which follow.

I claim I 1'. A; towel cabinet havin therein a support for a clean towel supp y in the upper portionof the cabinet, a pair of members in the lower portion of the. cabinet, a frame having a limited forward and backward movement on said members, delivery and take up feed rolls mounted insaid cabinet, a

shield hinged to said support and normally depending below it, said shield having asurface for normally contacting with the decarried by said casing near the bottomthere of, a frame movable on said slides from wlthin said casing outwardly, towel 'moving means mounted in said frame and movable therewith and means connecting said frame and shield whereby said shield is moved outward with said frame. I

3. A towel cabinet comprising a casing having therein an upper compartment and a support for a length of clean toweling, a shield pivoted on said support in front of which said toweling passes in a downward direction,

and horizontal slides carried by said casing near the bottom thereof, a frame movable on said slides from within said casing outwardly, towel feeding means and towel winding meansmounted in said'frame and movable therewith and means connecting said frame and shield whereby said shield is movable outwardly with said frame.

4, A towel cabinet comprising a casing having therein an upper compartment for a length of clean toweling, a shield pivoted in the forward portion of the. cabinet and in front of which said toweling passes in a down ward direction, and horizontal slides carried by said casing near the bottom thereof, a frame movable on said slides from within said casing outwardly, means connecting said frame and shield, towel moving means mounted in said frame and movable therewith, said means comprising a pair of feed: rollers mounted in substantially the same horizontal plane and geared to rotate simultaneously in the same direction, the forward roller rotatable to feed clean toweling and the rearward roller rotatable to cause take-up of soiled toweling and a soiled towel take-up roller mounted in said frame and resting on said rearward roller whereby rotation of the latter will cause rotation of the soiled towel roller.

5. A towel cabinet having a door normally closing the open front thereof, a support for a clean towel supply in the upper portion of the cabinet, a pair of slide members in the lower portion of the cabinet, a frame having a limited forward and backward movement on said slide members, delivery and'take up and projecting upwardly therefrom and over which the web of towel may be stretched to depend within said cabinet, a shield also the depending web of towel, said door being swung outwardly to a position substantially on a level with said support and said shield being moved outwardly to a positionunder said door when said frame is pulled forwardly through the door opening. a

6. A towel cabinet comprising a casing, a shelf mounted in the upper portion thereof and adapted to support a supply of clean towel,a shield pivotally connected with said shelf and depending therefrom, a frame slidably mounted in the lower portion of said casing below said shield and having a forward and backward movement, towel moving means mounted in said frame, said shield operating to smooth and guide the towel web between the supply and said towel moving means and a rod connecting said frame with said shield whereby forward and backward movement of said frame will imparta similar movement to said shield. I

7. A towel cabinet'comprising a casing, a support in the upper portion thereof adapted to receive a supply of clean-towel, aiframe having a forward and backward movement in the lower portion of said casing, towel moving means mounted in said frame and mov able therewith, a shield supported beneath said towel support and adapted'to contact with the clean. web of towel between said sup port and said towel movingmeans, and means connecting said frame and shield whereby said shield is moved forwardly and vbackwardly with said frame.

8. A towel cabinet comprising a casing having a support in its upper portion for a clean towel supply, a shield in the forward portion of said casing in front of which the towel may pass downwardly, a frame movable for-' wa'rdly and backwardly in said casing and means connectingsaid frame with said shield, towel moving means mounted in said frame and movable therewith, said mean-s compris ing a pair offeed rolls geared to rotate simultaneously in thesame direction, the forward roll rotatable to feed the clean toweling and the rearward roll rotatable to cause take up of soiled toweling, a'soiled. towel take up roller mounted in said frame contacting with said rearward roller,'whereby rotation of the latter will cause rotation of the soiled towel roller, said shield being in position to contact with the clean web as it passes from said supply to said forward roller.

, BEN. BELENSON.

hinged to said support and depending below it and having a surface for contacting with 

